What happened to Adam Johnson? Manslaughter case surrounding ice hockey player’s death
A man has been arrested for the manslaughter of hockey player Adam Johnson after his death last month.
The man was arrested on Tuesday and remains in police custody after Mr Johnson was hit in the neck by the skate of an opposing team member, Matt Petgrave, and started bleeding profusely on the ice at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.
The 29-year-old American, a Nottingham Panthers player, was competing in a match against the Sheffield Steelers in front of 8,000 fans before he died in hospital on 28 October.
A post-mortem examination confirmed he died as a result of a fatal neck injury.
The man who has been arrested cannot be named at this time.
“Our investigation launched immediately fofllowing this tragedy,” said detective chief superintendent Becs Horsfall, “and we have been carrying out extensive inquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances.”
She continued: “We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our inquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.
“Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world.
“We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process.”
While an inquest into Mr Johnson’s death was opened and adjourned on 3 November, Sheffield’s senior coroner, Tanyka Rawden, has called on the ice hockey’s governing body to take action.
In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to Ice Hockey UK and the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), Rawden said she was “sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn”, with the bodies given 56 days to reply about what action has been taken.
The EIHA said neck guards will become mandatory from 2024, but the Elite League – the highest league of icy hockey competition in which the Panthers and Steelers compete – is not under the EIHA’s control.
The two teams have refused to make neck guards mandatory, instead “strongly recommending” players wear them following Mr Johnson’s death.
Last weekend, hockey fans showed their support for Mr Johnson and Mr Petgrave at the Sheffield Steelers’ first match since the player’s death where fans observed a moment of silence.
Spectators applauded when an image of Mr Petgrave appeared on a big screen inside the arena.
Mr Johnson previously competed across the US and Canada in the National Hockey League – the sport’s elite level – representing the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2018 to 2020.
Following stints in Sweden and Germany, he joined the Panthers in August, who are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, a 10-team set-up comprising outfits from across the UK. It is the most senior level of ice hockey in the UK.
Mr Johnson’s funeral took take place on 5 November in the US, according to an obituary posted on the website of Dougherty Funeral Home in Hibbing, Minnesota.
The obituary stated: “Adam had a quiet confidence about him and was never boastful.
“He was never looking to be the centre of attention, but rather he preferred to listen to others and do what he could to make them feel important.”
